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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. lean — thin
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. date — the fruit
  6. last — to go on
  7. snap — to click
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. last — finally
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. mark — a grade
  14. lean — to bend
  15. foot — a measure
  16. game — wild animals
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. last — final
  20. mark — a trace
  21. game — a match
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. mark — to pay attention

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com